Locking mechanism for double doors



Oct. 24, 1961 T. J. MOYNIHAN LOCKING MECHANISM FOR DOUBLE DOORS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1' Filed Jan. 15, 1960 Fig.

Thomas J. Moym'han 1N VEN TOR.

BY QM ME-m Oct. 24, 1961 T. J. MOYNIHAN LOCKING MECHANISM FOR DOUBLE oooas 'Filed Jan. 15, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 4

Thomas ..I. Moym'han INVENTOR.

United States Patent g I 3,005,649 LOCKING MECHANISM FOR DGUBLE DOORS Thomas J. Moynihan, 44 Frederick St., Newington, Conn.

, Filed Jan. 15, 1960, Ser. No. 2,750

2 Claims. (Cl. 292203) This invention relates to a novel and useful locking mechanism for double doors, andmore particularly to a locking mechanism which is specifically adapted for use with the type of double doors not having a permanent supp'ort disposed therebetween.

Many business establishments such as supermarkets and the like utilize double swinging doors for their service entrances and these double swinging doors are of the type which do not have the permanent center support. The center support is omitted in order to provide a maximum opening through which supplies and the like may be brought into the business establishment. These double swinging doors are usually provided with two different locking mechanisms for preventing unauthorized opening of the double doors from either the inside or from the outside of the building. Usually, there is provided a locking mechanism for retaining either one or both of the doors in a closed position relative to the door jamb which is releasable from the interior of the building and there is also provided a second locking mechanism requiring the use of a key which locks the free swinging edges of the double doors against movement relative to each other. In this manner, the doors may be locked so that unauthorized entrance into the building from the outside by use of the doors is extremely difiicult, however, the use of these two types of locking mechanisms does not prevent unauthorized use of the double doors from the interior of .the building. The locking mechanism used to secure either one or both of the doors against movement relative to the door jamb is releasable from the interior of the building and therefore a person wishing to open the locked doors from the interior of the building merely has to release the releasable locking mechanism and then move both of the doors toward the open position simultaneously. If the free swinging edges of the doors are locked against relative movement by means of a slide lock or bolt, and

the lock mechanism has a slight amount of play in the sliding parts, the slide bolt mechanism may be sprung in this manner thereby enabling the double doors to be opened. It is not true in all cases, but if the slide bolt mechanism or the like has sufficient clearance between the sliding parts thereof and the person having the unauthorized use of the doors uses a small amount of ingenuity, the doors may be closed by reversing the above procedure so that it will not be apparent that they have ever been opened without proper authorization.

It is the main object of this invention to provide a locking mechanism for double doors which will automatically engage to lock one of the double doors against movement relative to the door jamb upon the movement of the other door into a closed position in alignment therewith thereby precluding simultaneous movement of each of the doors to the open position as long as the two doors are adequately' locked against movement relative to each other.

A further object of this invention is to provide a locking mechanism which may be readily observed as to whether it is in the unlocked or locked position.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a means for also locking the double doors against movement relative to each other if the need should arise.

Another object of this invention is to provide a door locking mechanism having the actuating means for said locking mechanism carried by one door and the actuator for said actuating means carried by the other door with the actuating means engageable by the actuator before the ice last door to be closed is positioned in the completely closed position and provided with means for engaging the actuator by means of a lost motion connection whereby the locking mechanism will be completely engaged before the last door to be moved to the closed position is moved thereto so that further movement of the last door to be closed will not effect further movement of the locking mechanism. This will also provide a means for insuring that even appreciable movement of the last closed door toward the open position relative to the other door will not disengage the locking mechanism to enable the movemerit of the other door toward the open position.

An ancillary object of this invention is to provide a door locking mechanism having only one moving part with a relatively large bearing surface so that the locking mechanism will be durable and require a minimum amount of maintenance.

A final object to be specifically enumerated herein is to provide a door locking mechanism which will conform to conventional forms of manufacture and be automatic in its operation so as to provide a device that will be economically feasible and relatively foolproof.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of the locking mechanism shown secured adjacent the free swinging edges of a pair of double doors and with the locking mech anism shown in the locked position, parts of the doors and the door jamb being broken away;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the door locking mechanism shown in FIGURE 1, the door jamb being omitted;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 33 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view similar to that of FIGURE 3 but showing the locking mechanism in the unlocked position about to be urged into the locked position; and

FIGURE 5 is an exploded perspective view of the locking mechanism showing the details of its construction.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings the numeral 10 generally designates the locking mechanism which includes an actuating means 12 and an actuator, generally designated by the reference numeral 14. The actuating means 12 comprises a mounting plate 16 which is secured to door 18 adjacent the upper and free swinging edges thereof by means of fasteners 20 which are secured through the apertures 22 formed in the mounting plate 16. Secured to the mounting plate 16 in any convenient manner such as welding 24 are a pair of sleeves 26. The sleeves 26 are spaced longitudinally from each other to provide an opening 28 therebetween for a purpose to be hereinafter more fully set forth.

The sleeves 26 rotatably receive the cylindrical portions 30 of the pivot bolt which is generally referred to by the reference numeral 32. The pivot bolt 32 is provided with a laterally projecting keeper element 34 which is provided with a stop face 36. The pivot bolt 32 is also provided with an actuating plate generally referred to by the reference numeral 38 which is U-shaped in cross section including a pair of legs 40 interconnected by means of a bight portion 42. The legs 40 and the bight portion 42 define a U-shaped recess 44- whose purpose is also hereinafter to be set forth.

v It will be noted that the end portion of the pivot bolt 32 having the actuating plate secured thereto projects beyond the free swinging edge of the door 18 Further, it is to be noted that the actuating plate 38 projects from the pivot bolt 32 at substantially right angles to the keeper element 34. With attention directed more particularly to FIGURES 3 and 4 of the drawings it will be noted that when the keeper element 34 is pivoted to the unlocked position as shown in FIGURE 4 the actuating plate 38 is disposed in a substantially vertical position with its medial plane being substantially parallel to the medial plane of the door 18. It will thus be noted that when the actuating plate 38 is pivoted to a substantially horizontally disposed position the keeper element 34 is pivoted to a position with its stop face 36 in abutting surface to surface contacting relation with the vertical edge 46 of the stop molding 48 remote from the door 18. It is to be noted at this time that the stop molding 48 is secured to the head jamb' 50 of the doorway 52 in the usual-manner to provide a stop surface for the doors when in the closed position. Of course, there are various types of double door installations and it is to be understood that the keeper element 34 could be seated within a suitable recess or the like within the stop molding 48 or the head jamb 50 if it is desired. However, for simplicity sake the construction shown utilizes the conventional type of door molding 48. p

The actuator 14 includes a suitable mounting flange 54 which is provided with suitable apertures 56 for receiving additional fasteners 20 and securing the mounting flange 54 to the door 58 in the same manner as mounting plate 16'is secured to door 18. The mounting flange 54 has projecting outwardly therefrom an actuator tongue 59 which is complementary in configuration to the recess 44 formed in the actuating plate v38. The actuator tongue 59 is provided with an aperture 69 which is registerable with the apertures 62 formed in the bight portion 42 of the actuating plate 38. With attention now directed more particularly to FIGURES 3 and 4 of the drawings it will be noted that the actuating means 12 is secured to the door 18 in a manner previously described and that the actuator 14 is secured to the door 58 in a manner previously described so that the actuator tongue 59 thereof will pass immediately beneath that portion of the pivot bolt 32 projecting beyond the free swinging edge of the door 18. It is also to be noted that the actuator tongue is aligned with the recess 44 when both the doors 18 and 58 are in the closed position.

In operation, with the door 18 positioned in the closed position as illustrated in FIGURE 4, the movement of the door 58 toward the closed position will enable the outer extremity of the actuator tongue 59 to engage the bight portion 42 of the actuating plate 38 immediately adjacent the pivot'bolt 32. Further movement of the door 58 to the closed position will pivot the actuating plate 38 to a horizontally disposed position thereby pivoting the keeper element 34 into position with the stop face 36 thereof in surface to surface contacting relation with the vertical edge 46 of the stop molding 48 as illustrated in FIGURE 3 as soon as the upper surface of the actuator tongue 59 engages the under surface of the bight portion 42. It will thus be noted that the actuating means 12 is actually actuated into the locking position well in advance of the final movement of the door 58 into the closed position in alignment withthe door 18. However, inasmuch as the movement of the actuating means 12 to the locked position necessitates that the actuating plate 38 be pivoted to a substantially horizontally disposed position, the actuating plate 38 is disposed substantially parallel to the actuator tongue 59 whereby further movement of the actuator tongue upon the final movement of the door 58 to the closed position results only in sliding contact between the adjacent surfaces of the actuator tongue ,59 and the bight portion 42. Thus, the actuating means includes a lost motion connection with the actuator 14 so that even appreciable movement ofthe door 58 toward the open position relative to the door 18 will not result in the movement of the actuating means 12 to the unlocked position.

It will be noted that if it is desired a suitable fastener or the shank of a padlock may be passed through the aligned apertures 60 and 62 when the doors 18 and 58 are both in the closed position. This will quite evidently restrict movement of either of the doors relative to each other thereby further insuring that unauthorized use of the doors may not be obtained.

It is to be noted that when both the doors 18 and 58 are in closed position with the locking mechanism 10' in the locked position that any attempt to move the door 18 toward an open position will not result in any force being applied to move the door 58 toward an open position. Also, inasmuch as the locking mechanism 10 has only one moving part, break-downs will be very infrequent and the initial cost of the locking mechanism will be relatively low.

The foregoing is considered as illustrativeonly of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, itis not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

' \Vhat is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A locking mechanism for swinging double doors comprising a keeper mechanism adapted to be secured to one of said doors adjacent the free edge thereof engageable with a stop molding for said door, said locking mechanism including a keeper adapted to engage the side of said stop molding remote from said one door to prevent the movement of the latter from a closed position toward an open position, actuating means carried by said locking mechanism and projecting beyond the free edge of said one door for moving said keeper into engagement with said stop molding, and an actuator adapted to be secured to said door adjacent the free edge thereof engageable with said actuating means to move said keeper into engagement with said stop molding upon movement of said second door toward the closed position, said actuating means including means for engaging said actuator by means of a lost motion connection after said keeper is completely engaged with said stop and during final movement of said other door to a completely closed position whereby even subsequent appreciable movement of said other d-oor toward an open position relative to said one door will not disengage said keeper from said stop, means for locking said actuating means and said actuator against relative movement when said doors are in the. closed position.

2. A locking mechanism for horizontally swinging double doors comprising' a support plate adapted to be secured to one of said doors adjacent the free upper corner thereof, a pivot bolt, means journalling said pivot bolt on said support plate for rotation about a horizontal axis, a laterally extending keeper secured to said bolt and adapted to engage the side of a depending door stop remote from said door-s when said one door is closed for preventing the opening of said one door, actuating means carried by said pivot bolt and projecting beyond the free vertical edge of said one door, and an actuator adapted to be secured to the upper free corner of the other door, said actuator being engage-able with said actuating means to pivot said keeper into engageinent with said stop upon movement of said second door to a closed position whereby when the free vertical edges of said doors are locked against movement relative to each other by a slide bolt or its equivalent when the doors are closed, said doors may not be simultaneously forced to an open position to disengage the slide bolt, said actuating means comprising a laterally projecting actuating plate secured to said bolt andsubstantially at right angles to said keeper, means normally urging said plate to a position disposed in a plane substantially parallel to the medial plane of said one door, said actuator comprising a tongue adapted to be secured to said other door in a position lying in a plane substantially at right angles to the medial plane of said other door and engageable with said plate adjacent said bolt to pivot said plate ap- 6 through said plate, said apertures being aligned when both of said doors are in the closed position whereby a fastener may be passed through said aligned apertures to retain said tongue against sliding movement relative proximately 90 upon movement of said second door 5 to said plate.

toward the closed position to engage said keeper with said door stop, said tongue projecting outwardly a substantial distance from said second door sufficient to pivot said plate approximately 90 to a position substantially parallel to said tongue in advance of the final movement of said other door to a closed position whereby further movement of said other door to the closed position will result only in sliding movement of said tongue relative to said plate, said locking means includes an aperture formed through said tongue and an apentured formed 15 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 172,106 Feige Jan. 11, 1876 185,534 Hinde Dec. 19, 1876 788,626 Bohne May 2, 1905 2,339,073 Hobson et 'al. Jan. 11, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS 683,245 Great Britain Nov. 26. 1952 

